Sunday, 12 April 2015

A Star Wars gaming weekend

It has been a bit quiet on WwB lately, but I'm making up for it with a big gaming binge weekend that corresponds with International Tabletop Day 2015. I played FFG's new Star Wars offerings, Armada and Imperial Assault.

Star Wars: Armada

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I commanded a Victory class Star Destroyer against the Rebels' Nebulon B Cruiser and CR90 Corvette, with multiple squadrons of TIEs and X-Wings respectively. I stripped the corvette's shields before killing it with TIEs, and had the cruiser down to its last hull point when the game ended.

Rebels scatter as the Imperials bear down towards them

I found the game fairly straightforwards, with nice pre-painted ships (the fighters aren't painted). I didn't have to refer to any books or sheets as all the information on shields and firepower is there on the ships' bases. Ranges are shorter than I had anticipated, but it does allow for a little bit of manoeuvre.

My favourite part of the game was using the fighter squadrons. There's a whole mini-game in manoeuvering and attacking and escorting and screening your tiny craft, and this will get even richer with expansions for A-, B- and Y-Wings, TIE bombers and Interceptors.

TIE and X-Wing squadrons clash

My gripe remains the aesthetically offending bases and flight stands of the ships and squadrons. They are brighter than the ships, and from a medium distance you can only see the bases and not the ships. I want my spaceships to be suspended against the inky black void, not hidden in perspex glare (see my black X-Wing flight stands). Hurrumph.

Star Wars: Imperial Assault

We got a little carried away, and pulled out a whole campaign over the weekend... I took pics of most, but not all, our games. Minor spoilers ahead, if you're into your campaign.

Rebels attack an Imperial transmitter station

Rebels aid Han Solo down an alleyway (proxy figure from Wizkids)

Rebels suffer an ambush

Rebels break into an Imperial prison

Imperial ambush

Rebels in trouble

Escaping detention via the garbage chute

Gaarkhan smashes the data centre

Gaarkhan goes down in a blaze of glory

We've got the finale mission yet to play- will the Rebels defeat General Weiss and his devious plans? I'm aiming to crack it out next weekend, I'll let you know how we go.

I'm looking forwards to the rest of this year's releases for Imperial Assault- Tusken Raiders, new Stormtroopers and heroes, C-3PO and R2-D2, and of course Boba Fett.